On-board effects

[Ds1]

So I was thinking about trying to put a simple on-board fuzz distortion in a bass. Any ideas of a small, very simple fuzz to use? (it can be for guitar)


Thanks

[Wobblebelly]

Hi Ds1 Guitar fetish sell an onboard overdrive, its a push pull pot with a small pcb attached is very small and very neat, I bought one over a year ago just havent fitted it so far.

[Ds1]

thanks a bunch! thats just what I'm looking for

[olddawg]

Hi Ds1 Guitar fetish sell an onboard overdrive, its a push pull pot with a small pcb attached is very small and very neat, I bought one over a year ago just havent fitted it so far.

An overdrive isn't a fuzz. Check out General Guitar Gagets. The board for the muff clone is small and you can make any version of a muff you want. It should be a simple matter to use whatever pots you want. There are also different types of fuzz clones available.

[Mark Hammer]

I am generally aprehensive about on-board effects. My reasons are several.

1) Providing power and changing batteries is a pain in the neck and a risk to the finish of the instrument.

2) It is often hard to get suitable shielding inside the instrument.

3) It compromises weight balance.

4) It compromises flexibility in effects order and signal routing. (i.e., what's onboard is ALWAYS first)

5) It compromises playing fluidity (you can step and play, but you can't flick a toggle and play at the same time).

6) There is limited room for controls.

7) It can compromise resale value unless the effects are staggeringly good.

In general, everything you want an effect for is better done off-board. I realize the attraction that an instrument with more controls has, but you may be more happy with stuff done right.

Having said that, there is nothing really wrong with adhering a small box to the surface of the body with some sort of circuit inside. This doesn't seem to stop those who play those older Roland guitar synths with the add-on control box, or even Les Paul for that matter.

[Ds1]

yeah, actually I completely agree with all those reasons why not to have effects on-board, but the only reason I was wondering is because I was planning on building a REALLY cheap bass or guitar and do a bunch of things just for fun, like onboard effects, onboard amp and possibly speaker, onboard tuner, LEDs, and all that fun stuff. I understand the bass or guitar will probably sound like crap (considering all the cheap parts and considering most of the guitar will be routed to fit all the little gadgets in), but it will still be a fun project and cool to say I have ALL of that in a guitar.

[Mark Hammer]

Experimentation is what moves any field forward, so experiment away!

If it's a toy, then have at it. My concern was that if it was intended to be your staple musical tool, then it might not have as happy an ending as you thought.

That being the case, plan out your control cavity for maximum flexibility. Take a look at those old MPC Electra series guitars for some ideas.

[Ds1]

okay, thank you to all!